Italian Plique-a-Jour Enamel Ship Pin

Plique-a-Jour enameling pieces are a rarity to come by. What is it?  An enameling technique that produces a stained glass effect because the enamel is held in a metal frame without any backing.  An ancient technique, it was revived and used extensively by Art Nouveau designers. 

This ship pin is marked 800, and has what I believe to be an Italian marking of identification (39), followed by initials indicating the province where the mark was registered (and typically illegible). This mark is found on Italian gold jewelry, and infrequently on silver.  At a close look, you can see that the piece looks to be gold with a worn silver finish, but the 800 marking excludes that possibility. The enameling in this piece is gold, green, purple and blue.  There are a couple very small areas that were not fully covered when made, and are an original manufacturing flaw. Book value $1500.

This is a wonderful piece to top off a collection of enameling  or ships,  or just for those who love the unusual.

DON'T WAIT FOR A SALE: Forget the Price ~ and MAKE AN OFFER! Prices listed are book value only. Don't be shy,  you tell us what you are willing to pay to make it yours.